
HISTORY AND ANATOMY OF THE GOLDFISH 

The goldfish has no fixed period for slumber, apparently sleeping 
whenever desirable, by day or by night. It remains motionless on the 
bottom of the tank or rests on the plants, breathing slowly and regularly, 
the eyes slightly withdrawn, vacant and of a glassy stare. All the fins 
but the pectorals are motionless, and these have only sufficient movement 
to change the water at the gills. If undisturbed this rest may be for 
hours, but usually it is only for a few minutes at frequent intervals. 
The diet of the goldfish is omnifarious, its food consisting of the 
minute vegetal, insectile and animal organisms found in its natural habita- 
tion, and the young shoots and tender leaves of aquatic plants, as well as 
smaller fishes and its own spawn and young. 
The excrement, when the fish is in a healthy condition, is dark brown 
or black, and usually appends for some time, as a long vermicelli-like 
thread. From its appearance illness of the fish or constipation/ may often 
be first detected. 

